said. “Do you have to take lessons to be that ugly?”
“That’s enough!” Mom screamed. She jumped to her feet and rushed over to me. She put a hand on my forehead. “This isn’t like you at all. There’s something very wrong. Are you sick?”
I brushed her hand away. “Get used to it,” I said. “Like I had to get used to your chimpanzee face. Did you always look like that? Or were you in a bad car accident?”
I turned to my dad. “You like horror movies. Have you looked in a mirror lately?”
“Jackson, stop!” he screamed. “Did someone dare you to insult everyone?”
“Did someone dare you to be so stupid?” I replied. “You’re thirty-six, right? But is that your age or your IQ?”
I dipped my spoon into my pea soup and sent a glob of soup flying across the table into Noah’s face. Noah uttered a startled cry.
Now, everyone was on their feet. Mom and Dad each took a shoulder and pushed me out of the dining room. “Have you gone crazy?” Dad demanded. “ Have you?”
“Should I call the doctor?” Mom asked in a trembling voice.
“He’s bad. He’s gone bad!” Rachel cried. I could see the big smile on her face.
Dad guided me to the stairs. “Just go to your room. Stay up there till you’re ready to come back and apologize.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I said.
They watched me climb the stairs. They were all muttering and shaking their heads in shock.
I slumped into my room. My head felt about to explode. All the horrible things I’d said kept repeating in my mind.
I raised my eyes to Slappy, perched on my bed.
He grinned at me. “How was dinner, Son?”
I threw myself across the room and grabbed Slappy by the shoulders. I shook him, shook him hard.
A giggle escaped his open mouth.
I tossed him back against the wall. My chest was heaving. I could barely breathe. “Don’t call me son ,” I said.
He giggled again.
How can this be happening? He’s just a doll. He’s made of wood and plastic.
I could hear voices from downstairs. Everyone was talking at once.
“Listen to them,” I said. “Listen to how upset they are. They want to take me to a doctor. They know I don’t act like that. They know I couldn’t mean those things,” I said.
“Tough beans,” the dummy muttered.
“Why?” I cried. “Why are you making me do these horrible things?”
His eyes blinked. “Evil is its own reward,” he said. “Relax, Son. You’ll learn to love it!”
“Noooo!” I shouted. “No, I won’t. You’ve got to stop. You’ve got to leave me alone!”
“Calm down, Son,” the dummy said. “I’m proud of you. You’ve come a long way. You were the best, nicest, sweetest kid in the world. And now you’re as sick and twisted as I am.” He chuckled. “That’s something to be proud of.”
“No. No way —” I started to protest. “You can’t —”
I heard a chirp . The room appeared to shake.
Perched on the bed, Slappy tossed his head back. He opened his wooden mouth wide and began to laugh.
And … and … I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t control myself.
I tossed back my head — and I laughed with him.
I laughed and laughed. Crazy, horrible laughter.
I couldn’t stop even when I saw someone in the bedroom doorway.
Rachel. Standing at the door. Squinting hard at me, hands on her waist, as I laughed along with the dummy.
I didn’t stop until she cried out in alarm: “Jackson — what’s so funny?”
I swallowed. My throat was dry from laughing.
I forced myself away from the bed. I hurtled across the room. I grabbed my sister by the arm and pulled her into the hall.
“This — this is all your fault!” I cried breathlessly.
She tugged my hand off her arm. “Let go of me. Are you crazy? Mom wants to call Dr. Marx. Aunt Ada thinks you should go to the emergency room.”
“All your fault,” I repeated, trying to clear my mind.
“Jackson, what are you talking about?” Rachel demanded. “What did I do?”
“You shouted out
“That’s enough!” Mom screamed. She jumped to her feet and rushed over to me. She put a hand on my forehead. “This isn’t like you at all. There’s something very wrong. Are you sick?”
I brushed her hand away. “Get used to it,” I said. “Like I had to get used to your chimpanzee face. Did you always look like that? Or were you in a bad car accident?”
I turned to my dad. “You like horror movies. Have you looked in a mirror lately?”
“Jackson, stop!” he screamed. “Did someone dare you to insult everyone?”
“Did someone dare you to be so stupid?” I replied. “You’re thirty-six, right? But is that your age or your IQ?”
I dipped my spoon into my pea soup and sent a glob of soup flying across the table into Noah’s face. Noah uttered a startled cry.
Now, everyone was on their feet. Mom and Dad each took a shoulder and pushed me out of the dining room. “Have you gone crazy?” Dad demanded. “ Have you?”
“Should I call the doctor?” Mom asked in a trembling voice.
“He’s bad. He’s gone bad!” Rachel cried. I could see the big smile on her face.
Dad guided me to the stairs. “Just go to your room. Stay up there till you’re ready to come back and apologize.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I said.
They watched me climb the stairs. They were all muttering and shaking their heads in shock.
I slumped into my room. My head felt about to explode. All the horrible things I’d said kept repeating in my mind.
I raised my eyes to Slappy, perched on my bed.
He grinned at me. “How was dinner, Son?”
I threw myself across the room and grabbed Slappy by the shoulders. I shook him, shook him hard.
A giggle escaped his open mouth.
I tossed him back against the wall. My chest was heaving. I could barely breathe. “Don’t call me son ,” I said.
He giggled again.
How can this be happening? He’s just a doll. He’s made of wood and plastic.
I could hear voices from downstairs. Everyone was talking at once.
“Listen to them,” I said. “Listen to how upset they are. They want to take me to a doctor. They know I don’t act like that. They know I couldn’t mean those things,” I said.
“Tough beans,” the dummy muttered.
“Why?” I cried. “Why are you making me do these horrible things?”
His eyes blinked. “Evil is its own reward,” he said. “Relax, Son. You’ll learn to love it!”
“Noooo!” I shouted. “No, I won’t. You’ve got to stop. You’ve got to leave me alone!”
“Calm down, Son,” the dummy said. “I’m proud of you. You’ve come a long way. You were the best, nicest, sweetest kid in the world. And now you’re as sick and twisted as I am.” He chuckled. “That’s something to be proud of.”
“No. No way —” I started to protest. “You can’t —”
I heard a chirp . The room appeared to shake.
Perched on the bed, Slappy tossed his head back. He opened his wooden mouth wide and began to laugh.
And … and … I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t control myself.
I tossed back my head — and I laughed with him.
I laughed and laughed. Crazy, horrible laughter.
I couldn’t stop even when I saw someone in the bedroom doorway.
Rachel. Standing at the door. Squinting hard at me, hands on her waist, as I laughed along with the dummy.
I didn’t stop until she cried out in alarm: “Jackson — what’s so funny?”
I swallowed. My throat was dry from laughing.
I forced myself away from the bed. I hurtled across the room. I grabbed my sister by the arm and pulled her into the hall.
“This — this is all your fault!” I cried breathlessly.
She tugged my hand off her arm. “Let go of me. Are you crazy? Mom wants to call Dr. Marx. Aunt Ada thinks you should go to the emergency room.”
“All your fault,” I repeated, trying to clear my mind.
“Jackson, what are you talking about?” Rachel demanded. “What did I do?”
“You shouted out
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